Monthly U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) development 1973-2025
The US dollar index of February 2025 was higher than it was in 2024, although below the peak in late 2022. This reveals itself in a historical graphic on the past 50 years, measuring the relative strength of the U.S. dollar. This metric is different from other FX graphics that compare the U.S. dollar against other currencies.
The history of the DXY Index
The index shown here – often referred to with the code DXY, or USDX – measures the value of the U.S. dollar compared to a basket of six other foreign currencies. This basket includes the euro, the Swiss franc, the Japanese yen, the Canadian dollar, the British pound, and the Swedish króna. The index was created in 1973, after the arrival of the petrodollar and the dissolution of the Bretton Woods Agreement. Today, most of these currencies remain connected to the United States' largest trade partners.
The relevance of the DXY Index
The index focuses on trade and the strength of the U.S. dollar against specific currencies. It less on inflation or devaluation, which is measured in alternative metrics like the Big Mac Index. Indeed, as the methodology behind the DXY Index has only been updated once – when the euro arrived in 1999 – some argue this composition is not accurate to the current state of the world. The price development of the U.S. dollar affects many things, including commodity prices in general.
